Dear Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office,

Under the common law right of access, please provide a complete copy of the personnel file for Raymond Trigg formerly of the New Brunswick Police Department.

Trigg worked for NBPD from 1994-2020 and at the end of his career, under public pressure, he resigned after being disciplined for violating department rules & regulations. Neither the full extent of Trigg's misconduct nor the punishment he faced were disclosed to the public.

Trigg has subsequently worked as a substitute teacher in the city's public school system, as well as other public school districts in the area. Trigg is presently employed as a professor at Middlesex College, a public institution with three campuses in Middlesex County.

With respect, each of the factors to consider per Rivera v. Union County Prosecutor's Office:

Nature and seriousness of the misconduct: The misconduct alleged against Trigg was extremely serious. Trigg was accused of taking lewd photos of himself in his office at police headquarters and using his department-issued cell phone to send them to a city worker, who also claimed that Trigg showed up at her house unwanted and unannounced, and provided screenshots of text messages where Trigg acknowledged obsessively attempting to contact her dozens of times in a single day.

Whether the alleged misconduct was substantiated: NBPD has not made clear which allegations of misconduct were substantiated and which, if any, were not, increasing the need for the release of the records in question. On June 20, 2020, a NBPD representative confirmed that Trigg "was found to be in violation of department policies and procedures, and was disciplined accordingly." The representative later declined to disclose the "degree of discipline and evidence examined during the investigation." Trigg's alleged victim was subsequently granted a final restraining order based upon the court's finding that Trigg "has committed an act of domestic violence." Trigg was also removed from his role as head of the domestic violence unit after the allegations were made public in news articles, including one that I authored, and he ultimately resigned from NBPD effective July 31, 2020.

The nature of the discipline imposed: The discipline imposed is unknown because the department has declined to indicate what it was. Notably, this was prior to the latest Attorney General directive promulgating updated polices & procedures for Internal Affairs, and prior to the relevant NJ Supreme Court ruling in Rivera. The lack of clarity about which charges were sustained and what the punishment was for the violation(s) only strengthens the need for the requested records to be released. As noted above, a final restraining order was granted against Trigg, barring him from his alleged victim's residence and place of employment, and prohibiting Trigg "from possessing any and all fire-arms or other weapons," among other restraints.

The nature of the official’s position: Trigg achieved the rank of Lt. in 2015. For many years, Trigg was the "Commander" of the NBPD's Domestic Violence Unit, with domestic violence being one of the most common categories of serious violent crimes in the city. He was also the highest-ranking officer assigned to working within the city's public school system, which educates roughly 10,000 students every year and frequently partners with the police department. Additionally, Trigg has held and continues to hold other public positions in and around the Central New Jersey area. He is currently a paid professor, teaching at Middlesex College. A representative of the college stated on December 15, 2023 that the institution believes that "no formal charges were ultimately pursued by the New Brunswick Police Department... against Dr. Trigg." The requested records could help the public examine the veracity of that claim, and the severity of the sustained allegations of misconduct.

The individual’s record of misconduct: The limited public information available about the alleged misconduct is disturbing to say the least. Trigg has been disciplined because at least some of the allegations against him were sustained as violations of department rules.

As a reporter covering the NBPD, I have a strong interest in the release of these records, particularly in light of Trigg's continuing public employment in this county and the continuing court order in effect against him. Respectfully, my interest in obtaining these records far outweighs any governmental interest in nondisclosure.

Please provide the records requested pursuant to the common law and the Rivera case.

Yours faithfully,

Charlie Kratovil

Dear Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office,

Just following up on my request for Raymond Trigg's Internal Affairs file. Please confirm you've received my request, which was filed on December 24, 2023. Thank you kindly.

Yours faithfully,

Charlie Kratovil